Yoga Studio in the Metro: Urban Ashram Manila

Since the weather on the second quarter of the year is very unpredictable, I cannot continue my running at the tracks. In as much as I would like to enroll in the gym, membership fees are beyond my reach. My only option in maintaining weight is indoor fitness.

Good thing, I stumbled upon dealgrocer's coupon on a yoga studio, which I was eyeing since my birth month. I got the 25-day unlimited pass for Php 2,500 for Urban Ashram Manila.

UAM in Highstreet

I am on my 7th day of yoga class (as of this writing), much more of after work workout. I have been to their two studios - Brixton, Pasig and ActivFun, Highstreet.

The Studio

Honestly, it is small yet homey studio. Brixton studios has 4 rooms, Highstreet studio has 2 rooms - which can turn into a big room if the class calls for it.

Brixton Studio room

Each studio branch has shower room, locker room and toilets, separately for men and women. Drinking station is also available, the studio calls for their students to bring their personal containers. Should you forgot yours, you can buy paper cups for 5 pesos.

Locker room at Brixton

Toilet at Brixton

Shower room at Brixton

Yogini : Women's locker room

I attend usually the night classes, and bringing a yogamat is such a hassle. UAM has yogamats, which are sanitized every class. But for hygienic purposes, they highly recommend their students to bring their personal mats.

The Classes

There are different classes offered by Urban Ashram Manila. I attend the Flexibility Not Required (FNR) class, which are classes for the beginners or less experienced yoga students. As the class title is, the teachers do not expect you to do the "exorcist" poses, but gives you different options for each pose, if you can't do it. The FNR class lasts for 75 minutes.

The class usually have 10-15 students, males and females. I had male and female teachers. The first part of class is to clear your mind of the stress and bring your awareness to your body. After this, you will learn different poses, and by the end of the class, you will have to relax your body again.

I observed that when we had classes with male teachers, during the ending relaxation, they would open the doors - making us, female students, comfortable and feel safe as the light is turned off.

My Verdict

I love attending classes in UAM. As a yoga first timer, you don't feel intimated with the teachers and more experienced co-students. Teachers check your pose, and when they see you with the incorrect pose, they would go to your station and help you correct it by guiding your body and repeat the instructions.

The teachers are very friendly, they find time to be available after each session, and talk with you.

After my 25-day class, I will definitely continue my yoga classes with UAM.

Website: www.urbanashrammanila.com

Branches:
Brixton: Unit 302, 3 Brixton Building, Kapitolyo, Pasig City

High Street: 3rd floor, ActivFun Bldg, 9th corner 28th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City

Manila Ocean Park: A Holiday Destination

Finally, I am writing this just a day after our trip. I love long holidays! :) Anyway, since it was a holiday yesterday because of Eid'l Flt'r and we were able to score discounted tickets for Manila Ocean Park from Metrodeal, we decided to use it for the Holiday.

MOP Wall - most of the visitors have their pictures taken with this wall. :)

It was my second time in Manila Ocean Park, but it was a first time for my mom and my sister. We arrived at Manila Ocean Park at 10:30, got in the line for redeeming the coupons (the line is very long), and finally we were able to get in by 11:15. Our first stop, The Birds of Prey.


The Birds of Prey Kingdom

This was the first attraction that will greet you as you enter the main building. The Birds of Prey Kingdom houses several brahminy kites - also known as red backed sea eagle from Australia. They would fly freely as you walk at the boards. You can also have your pictures taken with them.

The Brahminy Kites of MOP. 

Main Oceanarium

After a quick visit with the birds, the main oceanarium was our next stop. The main oceanarium houses about 250 species of marine life, endemic to the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Some of the famous fishes that you can find are the kois, regal tang (just like the short-term memory loss Dory from Finding Nemo), clownfish (Nemo of Finding Nemo), manta rays, sting rays and sharks.

(From left, clockwise) Golsfishes, Parrot fish, Albino fish, Scorpion Fish

(From Left, clockwise) Sting ray, Koi, Longhorn cowfish, Sac shark

(From L-R) Clownfish, Nautilus, Stonefish

It will be a quick walk, if you don't stop and take pictures of everything, in an hour, you'll be out of the big aquarium. You can proceed to the fish spa which is located at the upper floor of the oceanarium.


Trails of Antartica

You will pass by the Fish Spa and Glass Bottom Boat ride as you walk towards Trails of Antartica. There are three mini-attractions inside: The Slide O'Fun features a slide ride for a minute. You can have your pictures taken as you go down the slide.

Trails of Antartica houses several penguins, which you can personally feed.

Penguins

Aside from these two, you can visit the Snow Village as well, to experience the coldness of Antartica.

Jellies

After the Trails of Antartica, we were up to our next stop at the Jellies. It was probably my favorite attraction - the Jellies are like dancing sea creatures and very colorful.

Marine Life Habitat and Sea Lion Show

There are two main shows at Manila Ocean Park - The All-Star Bird Show and The Sea Lion Show. Our tickets originally include The All-Star Bird Show but by the time we get our tickets, the All Star Bird Show was already full. The Sea Lion Show was part of the original ticket, we managed to get at the 3:30pm show.

The Sea Lion Show features two sealions - Aira and Isha - two of the four sealions living at Manila Ocean Park, aside from one male (a total of 5 sealions). The show is interactive, it involves the audience as well, and if you're lucky enough, you get to see them upclose and have them kiss you. :D

Manila Ocean Park is a far cry from Hong Kong Ocean Park - which also features rides and other attractions. Aside from the features, the access to the Ocean Parks are far from one another. I hope there was a shuttle bus to Manila Ocean Park from Mall of Asia and vice versa. By this, they can attract more visitors by ease of access.


Directions to Manila Ocean Park:

From North and East of NCR (Caloocan, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, Pasay)

1. Take EDSA.
2. When you get to Roxas Boulevard, take a right turn towards US Embassy and Luneta Park.
3. Turn left when you see Quirino Grandstand (Manila Ocean Park marker can be seen).

When coming from Manila:

1. Take a PUJ to Luneta.
2. Walk for about 30 minutes toward Quirino Grandstand, passing by the Rizal monument and carabao monument.
3. Manila Ocean Park can be found at the back of the Quirino Grandstand.

When coming from South of NCR (Muntinlupa, etc)

1. Take Baclaran road towards Roxas Blvd.
2. Traverse Roxas Blvd until you reach the US Embassy and turn left when you see Quirino Grandstand.

Travel tips:

1. Visit Manila Ocean Park at its opening hours. You can avoid the rush of guests.
2. Take the afternoon shows for All Star Bird Shows and Sea Lion Show. If you can get the succeeding shows, get it. :)

Hotel Review: Dragon Hostel Hong Kong

It was hard to top all the hotels that we checked-in to in Vietnam, Siem Reap and Thailand, in terms of facilities and rates. Our Indochina hotels never asked for downpayments, we just show up there and showed the exchange of emails that we had.

My one rule for looking for accommodations is that it should be near the flea markets and if possible, there are some attractions nearby. Because I found that Hong Kong has a great transportation system, my only requirement for our Hong Kong accommodation is that it should be near at the MTR exit. :)

Tsim Shan Tsui (TST) is the most popular accommodation district in Hong Kong. But the accommodations on the area was beyond my budget and did not satisfy my requirement on flea market. I learned that Mongkok is a popular shopping district, thus, it was my area-to-be.

I managed to come across Dragon Hostel. It was located at an HDB/ housing apartment (just like many of the hostels in Hong Kong) near an MTR exit and across it is the famous Ladies Market, walking distance is the Sneaker Street. So what more can I ask for?

I emailed Dragon Hostel and they replied fast. There was a downpayment to be paid, good thing I do not need to use my credit card. I deposited the downpayment thru Chinabank, with their exchange rate from Hong Kong Dollars to Philippine Peso.

When we arrived in Hong Kong, we went to the 7th floor of the apartment, showed my deposit slip and they assisted us on our room.

The room was small, what do you expect on a hostel anyway. I have a principle that since we will only sleep and take a bath at our hostel, as long as we can sleep comfortably on it, despite the size, its fine.

We took the triple room, one with a bunk bed and a single bed. They have an option of a double and single bed, but since we have a male friend, its better if we sleep on individual beds.

Our small room, taken before we checked out. 

We never used the television, since we would like to spend our time outdoors. The comfort room is relatively small, but clean. The bad thing is that it has an accordion door, and you will not be able to lock it. In order to know if somebody's using it, we asked each other to sing while in the bathroom. Hehehehe!

our comfort room. 

We thought that we are the only ones at the Dragon Hostel, and they have a comfort room outside the corridor, we can use it anyway.

The Flat. The first door is another room, The second door (with rag in front) is the comfort room. The third door is our room. 

They have a small kitchen near the actual entrance door of the flat. There were microwave oven, a hot water dispenser (thermos), a washing machine, a fridge that their guests can use.

Microwave oven, Fridge, Washing mchine, Thermos and Hot water dispenser, Kettle for Guests use. 

There was wifi in the flat, you can easily connect on it and we managed to update our social networks with what was happening to us.

The major setback that we had on this hostel is its elevators. There were two - one for odd numbered floors and one for even-numbered. Each elevator can only carry 5 people - comfortably. If you are leaving at the rush hour, you will have to take the stairs (that could get you lost).

The surrounding is a lot better. There were 7-11 everywhere, the nearest one is just across the street upon exiting the building. You can walk towards Langham Place, Ladies Market and Sneaker Street is about 5 minute-walk from the hotel. The nearest MTR exit is D2 at the Argyle Street.


How to get to Dragon Hostel

From the Airport

1. Take Bus A21(HKD 33). Get off at Mongkok Bus Stop (6th stop from Airport terminal).
2. Walk towards Argyle Street.
3. Sincere House is two streets after the MTR exit D2.

From MTR

1. Get off at MTR Mongkok.
2. Exit at D2.
3. Walk towards Argyle Street, its the hostel with the food stall outside, 2 streets after the MTR exit.



Dragon Hostel:

Room 707, 7th Floor, Sincere House
Argyle Street, Mongkok
Kowloon, Hong Kong

Contact number: (852) 2395 0577, (852) 9347 4767
Email: dragonhostel@yahoo.com

Hong Kong Itinerary and Budget (Part 8 of 8)

Part 8 of 8
Hong Kong and Macau Itinerary and Budget


I'm finally towards the end of my Hong Kong and Macau posts.


It was my first time in Hong Kong, and I felt that I missed some of Hong Kong has to offer. I missed The Peak, Madamme Tussauds, and its all because of the bad weather when we got to Hong Kong.

But at least, I had reasons to come back.

Hong Kong is a great city, the train system is efficient, every tourist spot is connected to a near MTR exit. Filipinos are everywhere, they give out that certain smiles Filipinos are known for.

Hong Kong Itinerary:

Macau Itinerary

Macau is a small province outside Hong Kong, and still a territory of China. Its another opportunity to have that passport stamp.

More than Hong Kong, Pinoys are most visible in Macau - in the Senado Square and the casinos. They are more willing to help you if you're lost.

EXPENSES

And how big is the hole did this trip make on our pockets?

Our itinerary is dependent on the weather, since Hong Kong and Macau is basically a walking tour over-all. Your rest is only during the transits and when you stay at the hotel (for a quick break). We were able to save money on food, since my tita treated us for lunch and dinner for first day and our last day in Hong Kong. We also brought some noodles from Philippines for our breakfast. :)

Another trip that is within my budget! :) I am getting good at this! :)

Day 4: Less traveled Spots in Hong Kong (Part 7 of 8)

Part 7 of 8
April 7, 2012
10,000 Buddhas and Snoopy World

This was our last day in Hong Kong, and we decided to meet my Tita and her friend for the last time. So after our Ocean Park visit, we met them at Mongkok Station and proceeded to visit less traveled spots in Hong Kong.


10,000 Buddhas: How to Get there

1. Take MTR to Kowloon Tong
2. Change lines from Kowloon Tong to Sha Tin.
3. Walk towards the park and follow directions to 10,000 Buddhas


The 10,000 Buddhas is a monastery and Buddhist temple located in Sha Tin. The entrance opens as early as 8 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon. It is an uphill walk to the top, and by the time we got there, the monastery was already closed, so we just walked towards it and decided to see the buddhas.

Going up the monastery (level 1)

Up again.... Level 2

Level 3

The many faces of Buddha

Buddha and his Friend

Snoopy World

If you are a fan of Charlie and the gang, you should not miss Snoopy World. Note that this is more of a kid's park and thus the rides are meant for kids. We just went there since I liked to see Snoopy.


Snoopy World: How to get there

1. Take MTR to Kowloon Tong.
2. Change lines from Kowloon Tong to Sha Tin.
3. Enter the mall, directions can be seen everywhere pointing to Snoopy World.

The park is a small one, you can just take pictures and leave (just like we did). You can see kids everywhere, and teens.

After our quick trip to 10,000 Buddhas and Snoopy World, we went back to our hotel, ate dinner and went out again to buy pasalubong for our family.


The Ladies' Market

Our hotel is located in Mongkok, where the famous Ladies' Market can be found. Despite the name, you can see things for everyone - kids, mens' and ladies' clothing, accessories and Hong Kong souvenirs.

How to get to Ladies Market:

1. Take MTR to Mongkok
2. Exit at E2, walk towards Sha Tung.


Travel tips:

1. You can give half day for the 10,000 Buddhas and Snoopy World visit. 10,000 Buddhas monastery is open from 9am to 5pm. Snoopy World is on shopping mall hours.

2. To survive the Ladies' Market, you must learn to haggle. Try haggling from 75% of the original price. I got my luggage from 400 HKD down to 180HKD.

3. If the seller gives in to your price, make sure not to haggle anymore. Some vendors will shoo you away if you haggle more.

4.  Its better to buy things in bulk. Just like in the Philippines, wholesale prices are better than retail prices.

5. Walk towards the end of the street market, prices are usually lower there.

6. Compare prices from one store to another. And use this as your haggling conversation. We usually use, "at the last store, is 70HKD, but yours is at 80HKD. Its too expensive. Can you have it at 30HKD?"

7. Smile while you converse with the vendor. Its a conversation starter.